According to the American Psychiatric Association, addiction or substance use disorder is a complex condition in which someone uses a substance in an uncontrolled manner despite harmful consequences. Individuals who suffer from addiction focus on using a particular substance (or multiple substances), such as illicit drugs, alcohol, or tobacco, to the point where their ability … Continue reading What is Addiction?
Meditation has been found to support addiction recovery since it can help you feel calm, cope with triggers, and ultimately, help you to avoid a relapse. Although meditation cannot wholly replace a full addiction treatment program with professional medical support, it can still be a helpful tool. Many rehabilitation facilities include mindfulness and meditation as … Continue reading Does Meditation Help with Addiction?
People can enjoy many pleasurable activities in a healthy way that does not cross the threshold of addiction. However, sometimes the line between healthy enjoyment of an activity and developing an addiction to it can be crossed without someone even realizing it. What Is an Addiction? The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as … Continue reading How Do I Know If I Am Addicted to Something?
It can be difficult to recognize when something has become an addiction. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), addiction is defined as a chronic disease that affects the brain’s memory, motivation, and reward functions. A person with an addiction will experience feelings of craving that substance. In many cases, those with addictions … Continue reading How Do I Know If I Am Addicted to Something?
You have likely heard that structure is an important aspect of addiction recovery. The importance of structure for addiction recovery cannot be overstated. Structure helps to treat the underlying issues that contribute to addiction. Structure Helps Treat Addiction Behaviors When people suffer from an addiction to drugs or alcohol, they have developed certain behaviors and … Continue reading Why is Structure So Important for Addiction Recovery?
In many cases, there are two things that keep people with addictions trapped in the addiction cycle: physical dependence and psychological dependence on a substance. Physical and Psychological Dependency A person is physically dependent on a substance when their body has become dependent on the substance in order to continue functioning and avoid withdrawal symptoms. … Continue reading Letting Go of Addiction
An individual’s identity, or self-image, constantly adapts to the environment, rather than just remaining static. Most people are able to incorporate multiple different identities into their daily life. For example, someone may have a work identity in the workplace, along with a different identity while they are relaxing with friends and family. Since identity is … Continue reading Identifying with Your Addiction
Experiencing stress can be a trigger for the consumption of alcohol and drugs. For former addicts, stress can contribute to a relapse of alcohol or drug abuse. Since many substances can give you temporary relief of the negative effects of stress, it may be tempting for former addicts to return to using these substances again. … Continue reading Alternatives to Drugs and Alcohol for Stressful Times
Alcohol can have an impact on your health in many different ways. Most people know that drinking excessively can cause damage to the liver and the cardiovascular system. However, there can also be other negative consequences, like damage to the digestive system, which can lead to malnutrition and may even increase the risk of cancer. … Continue reading How Alcohol Addiction Affects the Immune System
When it comes to addiction, a question many people have is whether or not addiction is hereditary. Substantial research has been done on this topic, and there does seem to evidence that addiction may be hereditary. Specifically, there appears to be a connection between genetics and addiction to drugs or alcohol. If one or both … Continue reading Is Addiction Hereditary?